Stuart was one of 12
selected sailors – and recognized as a top performer – for the Navy’s Fiscal
Year 2019 Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) out of approximately 550
enlisted personnel.

“I was first and foremost
surprised, and extremely grateful for the position my leadership put me in to
get me to this point,” said Stuart, leading petty officer for NHB’s Physical
Therapy and Occupational Therapy Department. “Without them, I certainly
wouldn’t be able to achieve the things I have. I’m extraordinarily happy and
excited.”

The Navy’s MAP authorizes
commanding officers to advance eligible enlisted sailors in paygrades E5 and
below to the next higher paygrade, and provides the opportunity to acknowledge
those personnel who have demonstrated they are ready for the next level of
responsibility by advancing them in rate. The program also grants greater
authority to individual commands to better structure their manning levels, and
overall helps the Navy by continuing to develop and reward talented sailors.

“Congratulations on such an
outstanding achievement,” said Capt. Jeffrey Bitterman, commanding officer of
NHB. “Your hard work, dedication, and sustained superior performance are
clearly shining through! I am confident that your ability to lead by example in
motivating others will result in Command growth and future promotions for other
shipmates.”

It was Stuart’s early
interest in the medical field that has led him to serving approximately six
years in the Navy, with NHB his second assignment after an initial tour at
Branch Health Clinic Iwakuni, Japan.

“I was interested in
emergency medicine from a young age,” Stuart said. “However, when I was in high
school I found myself dreading going to college. I looked into the military and
after researching the hospital corpsman rate a bit, I immediately felt that was
what I wanted to do. I could work in the field of medicine and serve my country
at the same time. It can’t get much better.”

Stuart said his most
compelling assignment happened during his time in Japan.

“While stationed at Marine
Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan I was one of the lead emergency medical
technician (EMT) instructors for the base EMT program.” Stuart said. “Teaching
and working with students, and seeing them put their knowledge to good use to
take care of our sailors, Marines and their families was exciting.”

Although he attests that
being far from home and missing a lot of major family moments can be difficult
at times, he has made the most of the flipside to that.

“Traveling to locations I’ve
never been is always great, but the general camaraderie between the sailors,
Marines, and other military members I’ve had the opportunity to work with is
something that never gets old.”

Stuart adds that he
considers working alongside his friends and peers as the best part of his Navy
career.

“It’s easy to come to work
when you enjoy the people you work with,” Stuart said, acknowledging that he
continues to set and achieve goals.

“I hit a lot of personal
goals recently,” Stuart said. “I was selected for the MAP to second class petty
officer, and my request to affiliate with the Navy Selected Reservists
(component) was approved following my end of active obligated service in April,
2020. Following that I will be attending the Massachusetts Fire Academy in
order to join the Revere Fire Department as a full-time Fire Fighter/EMT. In
the meantime I would like to work my way towards a degree in Fire Science,”
shared Stuart.

The Navy’s surgeon general
has stated that there’s a renewed emphasis on readiness and the Hospital Corps,
the Navy’s only enlisted corps, will continue to rely on hospital corpsman –
like Stuart – to serve in scores of environments to support the warfighter by
utilizing the most advanced technology and sciences. Along with their own
drive, discipline, and determination, like Stuart.

“As the leading petty
officer for my department, the readiness of my sailors specifically is a daily
objective and one of my primary focuses,” Stuart said. “I assure they’re up to
date with all of their training and medical readiness. I make sure they are staying
in shape physically to meet and exceed Navy standards, and I emphasize in
providing them as many opportunities as possible to take additional courses and
training to expand their knowledge and physical readiness.”

NHB is a U.S. Navy hospital located on
Naval Station Bremerton in Bremerton, Washington. NHB has a three-fold primary
mission to support our warfighters, past and present, and their families by:
Providing exceptional care anytime, anywhere; shape military medicine through
training, research, and graduate medical education; and to prepare our forces
for deployment.